SPRING

Kaarna's debut EP was a big pleasant surprise for me! Unknown Finnish band plays music I needed some listening to catch in, and I believe every next spin will open me more nuances. Far nor very often situation nowadays.

Album's opener, "Twelve", is heavy-weight attack of distorted guitars, with some melodic tunes (even Eastern?) deeply under the skin. Psychedelic jamming, but not boring at all.

Second song, "Four", is aerial down tempo guitar and loops based dreamy instrumental piece. With cool and melancholic melody line, coming slowly from somewhere and becoming electric guitar line on the front of the second half of the compositions. Some ambient feeling and Fripp comes to mind. And the whole song becomes a "quite storm" at its end.

"Montreaux" is very acoustic down tempo composition for guitar, with some extended distorted guitar jam at the end. Last studio composition on the album, "Scandal", is very Nordic scandal: combination between slow psychedelic distorted guitar aerial scapes and harder rocking same guitar splashes. All in very cool and too hot atmosphere at all.

After four studio compositions on the beginning of the album, there comes three live ones. "Song" is melancholic mid tempo composition, very jazzy in atmosphere, and with much more better balanced all the band's sound - bass line and keyboards build important part of common sound. Drumming is jazzy and very relaxed. And the composition in whole is psychedelic jazz fusion mix of Nordic folklore melancholy and distorted electric guitar's voice.

"Montreaux" live version sounds as jazz fusion composition, with guitar soloing and relaxed jazzy drums. From two this composition's versions on the album, I prefer this ,live, one. Live version of "Four" is finishing the album. Still very ambient sound, but live version has more jazzy feeling. In whole - really very interesting album, psychedelic cool mix of jazz fusion and heavy prog, mostly distorted guitar-led melancholic and very Nordic sound. The musicians themselves as their main influence mention Marc Ribot between others. Knowing some Ribot's works, from his collaborations with Zorn to avant-pop album with Russian Auktyon band, I would say that Kaarna's debut's music, even if having some Ribot's NY downtown guitar craziness, is much more influenced by Nordic guitar fusion school, like Terje Rypdal.

Very promising debut. Really will wait for their full album.